Lured Relatives to U.S. with Promises of a Better Life, But
Instead Subjected them to Forced Labor, Increasing Debt, and Threats of
Deportation
Two Guatemalan nationals were today sentenced in U.S.
District Court in Tacoma, Washington, for their scheme to exploit other
Guatemalan nationals for their own financial gain, announced Acting Assistant
Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney
Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington. Antonio
Francisco-Pablo, 60, residing in Forks, Washington, was sentenced to three
years in prison for one count of forced labor. Antonia Marcos Diego, 42, also residing
in Forks, Washington, was sentenced to one year of probation for one count of
document servitude in furtherance of forced labor. At the sentencing hearing,
U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton described their crimes as a “despicable
offense” and a “serious degree of exploitation.”
According to documents filed in court, defendant Antonia
Marcos Diego and her husband, Antonio Francisco-Pablo, lured Diego’s sister to
enter the United States from Guatemala, falsely promising that they would
provide her with a home, a job earning a lot of money, and a good life.
Contrary to these promises, however, the defendants saddled the victim with
significant debt upon arrival in the United States, and informed her that she
would work off the debt by picking salal, a plant commonly used by florists.
The defendants retained all of the victim’s earnings and increased her debt by
imposing additional charges on her for food, housing, transportation, and
utilities. The defendants also kept the victim’s identification documents and
threatened her with deportation if she ever tried to leave them. According to
court documents, the defendants similarly lured another relative to the United
States from Guatemala, and also imposed a significant debt upon him after his
arrival.
“The defendants forced their own family members to work for
no pay after luring them to the United States on false promises of a better
life,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “The Department of
Justice will continue to prosecute labor traffickers, who exploit vulnerable
individuals for their own greed and erode the American ideals of freedom,
opportunity, and the rule of law.”
“What these defendants did to their victims amounts to
modern day slavery and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L.
Hayes. “All of us in law enforcement are
committed to addressing the needs of victims and holding perpetrators to
account. I encourage anyone with information
about this kind of forced labor victimization to go to law enforcement and be
part of the solution.”
Both defendants will pay $18,950 in restitution to the
victims. Francisco-Pablo was in the U.S. unlawfully, and it is virtually
certain that he will be deported following his prison term. Antonia Marcos
Diego will be on probation for one year.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland
Security’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, with assistance from the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, Port
Angeles Police Department, and Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorney Bruce F. Miyake and Trial Attorney Matthew T. Grady of the Civil
Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
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